State of the Heritage Report
The following checklist can be completed by local government authorities to ensure that their Council has submitted complete and up to date information for incorporation into the National Trust's 'State of the Heritage Report'.

Please complete the checklist with examples and return to the National Trust of Australia (NSW), GPO Box 518, Sydney 2001.

The City of Sydney undertook an extensive review of Central Sydney LEP 1992 —Conservation of Heritage Items, in conjunction with the Heritage Council NSW and the Property Council, between 1995 and 2000. The review re-assessed the schedules accompanying the Heritage LEP, and also introduced groundbreaking provisions to assist in managing development pressures typically found in central business districts of major cities in the world. The review culminated in the gazettal of the City of Sydney Heritage LEP 2000.

Yes. The City of Sydney owns/manages a number of cultural venues and hosts/sponsors a number of cultural events in central Sydney.

The City’s cultural venues include Sydney Town Hall, the Capitol Theatre, the City Recital Hall, and Customs House. In addition, at Customs House the City of Sydney has established the ‘City Exhibition Space’ (refer question 7 for more detail). The City also owns, and has restored, the Queen Victoria Building, the Corporation Building and Haymarket Library. The Asia-Australia Arts Centre is housed within the Corporation building and a library focused on Asian Language materials is located in the Haymarket Library building.

Cultural events and activities promoted and/or sponsored by the City of Sydney includes New Year’s Eve, the Sydney Festival, the Sydney Writers Festival, the Sydney Cabaret Convention, the Sydney Film Festival, Biennale, the Sydney Food and Wine Fair, Tropfest, Chinese New Year and other events. More detail can be found on the City’s web site www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Yes. Initiatives undertaken by the City of Sydney include the following:

• Various publications written on the history of Sydney such as Shirley Fitzgerald’s (City Historian) publications on Millers Point, Pyrmont and Ultimo, Chippendale, and Surry Hills.
• Interpretation plaques around the city noting historical places such as the location of the Tank Stream.
• Guided heritage walks around the city undertaken during Heritage Week 2000.
• Guided tour of historical Sydney for RAPI conference 2000.
• A variety of historical talks and lectures to members of the public eg: Royal Australian Heritage Society Centenary Lecture.
• City Open days.
• Self guided Walking Historical Tour (brochure).
• Self guided walking tour — sensory Sydney.
• Self guided Sydney Sculpture walk.
• History page on Council’s web site at www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au - a web site that promotes a better understanding of the social and cultural history of the city making connections between the built environment and the history of Sydney.
• ‘Guidelines and Alterations to Terraces’ — a document that assists with the management of change to terraces in Pyrmont, Ultimo and the City of Sydney.
• The Central Sydney Archaeological Zoning Plan - a plan that identifies archaeological sites and recommends policy to assist with their management.
• Central Sydney Heritage Database — a database that provides guidance on the heritage significance of items on the schedules of the Heritage LEP and recommends policy on how this significance can be managed.
• Establishment of a web site and reference database on the indigenous history of Sydney. Barani (an Eora word meaning ‘Yesterday’) is an interactive, searchable resource which links you to a thematic introduction to Sydney’s Indigenous history, biographies, useful contacts, and references to books, films, images and web sites.

The City is currently finalising guidelines for the sustainable management of it’s own property portfolio. These guidelines recognise the implicit environmental sustainability features of older buildings such as the resources embodied in the fabric, durability and long life materials, high thermal mass and natural ventilation, while seeking to remediate those elements that impact adversely on the environment. As the guidelines will recommend the reuse of existing structures and on-site materials, and the use of salvaged and/or recycled materials, a systematic approach to the storage of materials will be developed.

Until these guidelines are operational, practices have been established by staff in the City of Sydney’s Property Unit to ensure the heritage significance of our properties is given consideration. These practices include early consultation with staff in the Heritage section of City Development about the potential impact of any changes to identified items of heritage significance and, where possible, the retention or reuse of significant fabric in Council owned property identified on the Heritage LEP. For example, sandstock brick and sandstone removed as part of the Pyrmont Community Centre work in 1992 have been stock piled for future use.

(a) City History Program

Over the past ten years, the Council has actively promoted the history and heritage of Sydney. One specific initiative by council was the appointment of Dr Shirley Fitzgerald as City Historian - the first council in New South Wales to appoint an historian to such a position. The History Program has recently been expanded to include a Research Historian.

The City Historian and the History Program have made a valuable contribution to the research and promotion of Sydney’s history, enhancing Sydney’s cultural and intellectual life. As part of the celebration of its sesquicentenary, the City of Sydney commissioned a series of social histories of inner Sydney. These have proved to be immensely popular with the public and have filled a gap in Sydney’s history. In all, the City of Sydney has published thirteen histories in the past ten years - a testament of Council’s commitment to the history and heritage of Sydney.

Sesquicentenary History Series:

Shirley Fitzgerald and Hilary Golder, Pyrmont and Ultimo: Under Siege, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1994.

Paul Ashton, The Accidental City: Planning Sydney Since 1788, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1993.

Shirley Fitzgerald, Sydney 1842-1992, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1992.

Shirley Fitzgerald and Christopher Keating, Millers Point: The Urban Village, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1991.

Christopher Keating, Surry Hills: The City’s Backyard, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1991.

Shirley Fitzgerald, Chippendale: Beneath the Factory Wall, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1991.

Other histories published by the City of Sydney:

Shirley Fitzgerald, Sydney: Story of a City, City of Sydney, Sydney, 1999.

Margo Beasley, Sydney Town Hall: A Social History, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1998.

Renato Perdon, Sydney’s Aldermen: A Biographical Register of Sydney City Aldermen 1842-1992, Sydney City Council, Sydney, 1997.

Shirley Fitzgerald, Red Tape, Gold Scissors: the story of Sydney’s Chinese, State Library of New South Wales Press, Sydney, 1996.

Hilary Golder, Sydney’s Electoral History: A short Electoral History of Sydney City Council 1842-1992, Sydney City Council, Sydney, 1995.

Shirley Fitzgerald, Sydney Streets: A guide to Sydney City Street Names, Sydney City Council, Sydney, 1995.

Paul Ashton, Nine Planners Remember, Sydney City Council, Sydney, 1992.

The History program also contributes to the work of Council through advice on particular sites, input into conservation plans and development, and assists the public with historical inquiries and/or researching their history and heritage.

(b) City of Sydney Historical Association

The City of Sydney has been instrumental in establishing the City of Sydney Historical Society for local residents. Both in-kind and financial assistance has been provided to allow the Society to become a viable organisation. In particular the City has provided a further grant this year to assist the group to stage a historical exhibition to celebrate the unique history of Millers Point, Dawes Point and The Rocks local community.

(c) Archives

The City of Sydney operates professionally staffed Archives servicing both City staff and members of the public. Comprising 4 full time staff, the service is open weekdays and provides access to the Sydney Reference Collection, local studies collection, council archives and Festival of Sydney archives. Facilities are available for residents and other members of the public to undertake their own research. This is a free service for personal researchers and students. Material held in the City of Sydney Archives are available for on-line catalogue searching through Archives Investigator and digitised photographs can be searched and viewed on Archive Pix, both on the City’s web site.

(a) City Exhibition Space

The City Exhibition Space, located at Customs House, Circular Quay, was established by the City of Sydney in February 1999 to foster awareness, understanding and debate about urban development by providing informative, innovative exhibitions and public programs relating to architecture, city planning, design, engineering, heritage, city management and the environment.

The gallery provides a unique perspective on contemporary Sydney and other cities, and through a range of media makes complex issues accessible and interesting to a broad audience. Target sectors include design, construction and heritage industry professionals, cultural audiences, city residents and workers, secondary and tertiary students, and local communities.

City Exhibition Space has become a popular destination where people can engage with issues as diverse as inner city living, traffic management into the 21st Century, innovative building design and the uses of Sydney harbour and city spaces. It is open to the public I 0.00am—5.00pm, seven days per week. (Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day.) Admission is free. The venue also operates during evenings for private functions and public programs.

(b) Sydney Town Hall Collection

The City of Sydney is responsible for the Sydney Town Hall Collection that is a rich and varied resource of historical and cultural significance to the City of Sydney. The Collection encompasses over 2,000 items that have been acquired by gift, purchase and bequest. The collection comprises of Memorial Items, Civic History and Official Gifts. Many of the items in the Collection decorate the public spaces of Sydney Town Hall and are available for public inspection. Regular changing exhibitions of items from the Collection increase public access to those items that cannot always be displayed, and provide an opportunity to celebrate significant events and anniversaries.

The Central Sydney LEP and DCP 1996 provide a significant financial incentive for the conservation of buildings through the award of Heritage Floor Space (HFS).

The HFS award system allows the owner of a heritage item to apply for an award of floor space, which if approved can be sold on the open market for a financial return. In order to be eligible for an award of HFS, approved conservation works must be undertaken to the building. In addition, a deed is placed on the property that restricts the floor space of the site to that given at the time of the award. The end result is that heritage buildings are conserved, development pressures are eased, and property owners receive a financial benefit.

Yes. Council has a Heritage team as part of the Planning Policy Unit with City Development. In addition to this team, Council also has a History and Archives department. These staff are listed below:

A. City Development

Anne Warr
Manager Heritage
GPO Box 1591
Sydney 2001
Ph: 9265 9361 or fax 9265 9518
E-mail: Awarr@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Caron Mounsey-Smith
Heritage Specialist
Address as above
Ph: 9265 9761 or fax 9265 9518
E-mail: cmounseysmith@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Susan Duyker
Heritage Specialist (4 days a week)
Address as above
Ph: 9265 9030 or fax 9265 9518
E-mail: sduyker@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Adam Ford
Archaeologist (I day a week)
Address as above
Ph: 9265 9030 or fax 9265 9518
E-mail: Aford@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

B. History Department

Shirley Fitzgerald
City Historian
Address as above
Ph: 9265 9613 or fax: 9265 9116
Email: Sfitzgerald@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Lisa Murray
Research Historian
Address as above
Ph: 9265 9795 or fax: 92659116
Research Historian
Email: lmurray@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

C. City of Sydney Archives

Mark Stevens
City Archivist
Ph: 9265 9525 or fax: 9265 9606
Email: mstevens@cityofsydnev.nsw.gov.au

Angela McGing/ Diana Schlicht (job share)
Archivists
Ph: 9265 9521 or fax: 9265 9606
Email: lmcging@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au and dschlicht@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Renalto Perdon
Archivist
Ph: 9265 9503 or fax: 9265 9606
Email: rperdon@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Ross Connell
Archivist
Ph: 9265 9502 or fax: 9265 9606
Email: Rconnell@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

D. Other

Margaret Betteridge
Curator, Sydney Town Hall
Ph 9265 9074
Email: mbetteridge@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Yes. The Central Sydney Heritage Local Environment Plan 2000 comprises three schedules and one map as noted below:

• Schedule 1 ‘Building and Sites’ comprising 443 items
• Schedule 2 ‘Building elements’ comprising 48 items
• Schedule 3 ‘Archaeological, townscape, landscape items’ comprising 64 items
• Heritage Streetscape Map.

The Heritage LEP 2000 does not identify conservation areas within Central Sydney as such, however it does identify many areas as ‘Heritage Streetscapes’. Any development applications within a Heritage Streetscape must be considered in terms of the heritage significance of the streetscape and the extent to which the proposed development will affect that significance or any historic subdivision pattern in the locality. In addition, Central Sydney LEP 1996 identifies and manages development within a number of ‘Special Areas’ in Central Sydney. Most of these special areas have been identified for their heritage significance.

The Rocks is under the governance of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which has developed its own specific controls for areas of heritage significance. Millers Point, a place listed for its State significance by the Australian Heritage Commission and National Trust NSW, is afforded protection by the City’s Heritage LEP 2000 through the identification of all streets within the area as ‘heritage streetscapes’ and most buildings on Schedule I of the Heritage LEP. In addition, a number of landscape and townscape elements in Millers Point (eg Observatory Park) are identified on Schedule 3.

All significant interiors in Schedule I buildings (i.e. 443 items) are identified and protected under the provisions of Heritage LEP 2000. In addition, two further interiors are identified on Schedule 2 ‘Building elements’.